ABSTRACT
Controversies over scientific issues have often been initiated by sensational media reports of research that capture the imagination of the public. Before the application of biotechnology, the biology of crop plants had never been the focus of controversy and debate. However, with recent attention drawn to plausible harm to foodstuffs and the environment, the previously unheralded subject of agriculture has been transformed into media fodder. We want to illuminate the facts and discuss the research behind the issues by focusing on a few timely plant biotechnology controversies.
A remarkable development occurred in the early 1980s: the first genetically engineered plants were produced. For the potential impact that this technology would have on agriculture as we know it, the event was rather unheralded. As biotechnology grew in application, it remained nearly a nontopic for news media and the general populace. There were rumblings from some concerned parties, environmentalist groups for one, but in general, genetically engineered foods were accepted into use with little fanfare or concern. Opponents were thought of as technophobes or extremists.
